emaciated

adjective

ema·​ci·​at·​ed i-ˈmā-shē-ˌā-təd How to pronounce emaciated (audio) -ˈmā-sē- How to pronounce emaciated (audio)
: very thin and feeble especially from lack of nutrition or illness
He was deadly pale and terribly emaciated, with the protruding, brilliant eyes of a man whose spirit was greater than his strength.Arthur Conan Doyle
My cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement.Mary Shelley

Examples of emaciated in a Sentence

the emaciated bodies of the survivors of the concentration camps
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over the rounds of hostage releases, male captives have generally appeared more emaciated than the women, suggesting the men were worse fed. Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025 The emaciated boy, whose wrists and ankles were duct taped together, was seen on a Ring camera begging a neighbor for help. Kc Baker, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025 At the same time, the images of the emaciated Israeli hostages released on February 8 were a stark reminder to Israel of the urgency of an agreement on the second phase, before more hostages die. Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2025 Israelis were horrified by the sight of three emaciated hostages in an earlier release this month, and revelations about hostages being held alone, barefoot or in chains have increased the pressure on Netanyahu’s government to push ahead with the ceasefire’s next phase. Natalie Melzer, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for emaciated

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of emaciated was in 1627

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Cite this Entry

“Emaciated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emaciated. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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